Management Information Sheet

I want to give you further details about changes we are making to the way we deal with referrals that are made to Children's Services.

We know that partners have not always had the best experience when making calls to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub and we want to make this better. You will also be aware that our Ofsted report in January highlighted the scale of work that was coming in to the MASH was having an impact on the quality of services we could provide to children and their families.

We asked Professor David Thorpe, Lancaster University, to carry out a review of the MASH as an industry expert, who has worked with a number of high performing authorities, such as Leeds and North Lincolnshire. He has proposed an alternative way of working, that will:

• ensure an improved experience for professionals raising concerns
• mean right service first time for children
• improve the quality of social work assessments for those children at greatest risk of harm

We briefed a range of partners about this in October, and are now further developing our plans. This will mean that by October 2018, we will offer a single direct line and number for professionals to a new Norfolk Children's Advice and Duty Service (CADS). This will be staffed by a team of senior social workers, who will handle calls and act as point of contact throughout the process.

As part of this new service, we will end the use of written referral forms, and instead ask that professionals call us about any concerns they may have about children.

The wider front door will still contain our MASH, undertaking cross agency checks for children identified as at risk or likely risk of harm, and all our Early Help Family Focus staff and partner representatives, to ensure the right pathway and response is identified and put in place.

We are also looking at the possibility of extending the hours of our service, from 8am to 10pm ensure consistency and support to partner agencies outside of office hours.

The current physical location of the existing MASH and partnership staff group will change from Vantage House to County Hall in September to coincide with the launch of the new service and approach the following month.

We will keep you up to date as out plans progress, and are planning meetings and workshops with partners over the coming months, so that we can discuss the changes in more detail.

Phil Watson
Assistant Director, Social Work
Norfolk Children's Services

July 2018